Midian Legions
Summary The Midian Legions, sometimes Legio, Armata, or Exhortara, or simply "the Legion," It is the largest, most powerful military force on the planet. The Legion has been a fighting force for over a thousand years. Their most notable victories have come at the expense of the Fellmark, and the former Overmountain kingdoms of the dwarves. Despite their power, the Midian Legions have been fought to a draw by nations who possess strong navies. The Midian Empire's navy is considered inferior to the Legions; and is still rebuilding after the last war. History Founding The Midian Legion was founded after the Union of Three Crowns. The Sol, Lunari, and Comete kingdoms agreed to raise a shared army, keeping power out of the hands of their feudal nobles and merchant class. Much of the Legion was built from the famed Raven Host. Present Day The Legion is at its largest size in history; and is fighting "all-compass," with three wars in the North, West, and South; and an occupation in the East. To sustain this level of conflict, the Legion depends more and more on Exhort units; and is paired with less savory House armies, and mercenaries. Strategy The Midian Empire deploys the Legion to hold territory; expand its borders; protect its trade; and intimidate its enemies. Legions are paired in war-torn regions, with a reserve legion deployed in a pacified territory. Legions are also deployed internally to demonstrate the power of the empire to restive nobles and citizens. The Legion's strategic philosophy is based on three concepts: tenacity, mass, and adaptability. Tenacity Legions strive to fix and hold enemy forces. They are willing to sacrifice thousands of men to keep an enemy on the battlefield. Legion commanders are known to break off 1,000 soldiers into small units to draw attackers onto ground or in a timeline that favors overarching legion strategy. Legions will also spend weeks, months, even years preparing a siege against an entrenched foe. The most legendary example of this tactic extended over decades. Legionnaires took 50 years to counter-mine a dwarven forge, poisoning underground lakes, and burning the hearth lands above, until its forces could break their defenses. By the time the battle had concluded, the first legion general had died; and his son had assumed his place. Mass The Midian Empire has a vast population and resources. It uses these resources to build roads, and create a supply train that can support numbers of soldiers that were almost unheard of in Cetemar. The Legion strives to hold enemies in place in order to use its massive force to crush them in decisive battle. If the enemy won't make war, the Legion uses its numbers to grind down resistance, killing enemies, civilians, even destroying the land itself. The ruins of Estia Ereipio is an example of the Legion's efforts. Adaptability Over its thousand-year history, the Legion has effected slow, but constant change. The Legion learns from its enemies, and adapts their tactics and equipment to achieve victory. Although the Legion is primarily an infantry force, it has added armored cavalry, mage and clerical forces, and other magical creatures, to improve its fighting ability Tactics The Legion has hundreds of treatises on war, too many to list. However, four typical scenarios illustrate their doctrine. Against a Similar Foe Legion Units will strive to engage the enemy on a favorable field; and destroy it with superior organization and maneuver. Infantry will form up a grinding shield wall to fix and hold the foe. Calvary and other specialized units are held reserve, then used to attack the enemy's flanks or exploit an opening in the line. Against an Insurgency When dealing with insurgent groups, the Legion focuses on area denial, while keeping lines of communication open. Legion units will be broken into crows of 250 men. They attack insurgent strongholds, bribe rival tribes, raze villages and fields, poison water supplies, and capture civilians. In a protracted conflict, the Legion will build connected forts and roads, to permanently deny the land to the enemy. Against Magic-Using Foes When dealing against powerful mages, clerics or magic-using groups, the Legion attempts to avoid large engagements, where its soldiers could be subject to mass attacks. They instead work to break down the spell users' source of power. For the elves it was destroying their forests, tree by tree. For mage schools, the Legion obstructed all trade, especially that of spell components, burned libraries, and captured or killed initiates, till the schools had no one left to teach. If the Legions are forced to fight magic directly, their soldiers have been well-trained. Shields and some helms are embedded with magic resistant iron. En mass the shields can deliver a potent level of resistance. Legionnaires are given additional specialized types of equipment when they are expected to face a mage. In recent times the Legion has founded regiments of magic-adept fighters, clerics, and war mages, called ''"Curuxa" ''or Owl units to fight against magic-empowered foes. Weapons and Armor The Legion base kit is consistent across the Midian Empire. A legionnaire will have a tunic, belt, hobnail boots, a cape, soldier's pack, entrenching adze, an iron-shod shield, two long spears, an estoc-like short sword, dagger, and 2-3 spiked Vidria, as well as other personal effects. Legionnaires wear scale mail. Archers and scouts wear studded leather. Structure The Legion is separated into two major divisions: Legio and Exhortar. Legio are the professional soldiers, citizens of the empire. Exhortar are auxiliary units, drawn from less dependable populations, including convicts and draftees. Legio Legio, commonly “Legions." These are the classical heavy infantry of the Midian Empire. They possess the best armor, weapons, siege equipment, and support units. The Legions are considered the best trained and most loyal soldiers in the empire. Legionnaires can request food, quartering and horses from any civilian town in the empire. Legions are the largest operational ground units in the Midian Empire. There are 25 standing Legions, Orders, or Hordes (The title depends on the kingdom where it was raised). Legio Sinestra The "Left Hand" Legio are irregular units within the greater Legions. They have rank and pay like all other legionnaires. But Sinistra units have much different weapons, equipment, numbers and tactics; and often operate independently of other Legion forces. Left Hand legions number from 4,500 to as few as 200 souls. Exhortar Exhortar, commonly “Exhorts." These are auxiliary units, composed of non-citizens from conquered territories, prisoners, and mercenaries. They typically are bowmen, slingers, light cavalry, and other skirmishers. Exhort units have worse equipment, are less trained, and thought less loyal than Legion units. Exhorts serve in smaller numbers, generally only as large as a Quaddred. However, they make up a third of the overall fighting force available to the Empire. Order of Battle The Legions of Midia have an order of battle that remains consistent across the empire. Formations can be easily interchanged between Legions. Legion/Order/Horde: Legions fight as a Main force, with Left and Right wings, and one held in Reserve. Legions march slowly; and have a baggage train half again as large as the force itself. Legion numbers vary. Legions well within Midian territory often number 3,500 souls. Legions on the front line may have as many as 5,000 troops, with Exhortar available to serve as promoted replacements. Quaddred: Quaddreds function as a fast reaction force. Each legion can send its best (or most expendable) unit ahead to suppress a restive province, hold a key pass, drive off raiders, or serve as a picket. Quaddreds often operate at less than full strength far afield from legion supply. Sometimes only 600 souls serve in the force. Heavy Lesser Formations Lesser Formations form the backbone of a legion, but can operate self-sufficiently. They are named after different types of predatory birds. Roc units have additional artillery/archer support; and are often used for siege actions. Eagle Units contain legion commanders. They also function as paymasters and suppliers of the larger legion. Medium Lesser Formations Crow (also Corvus) units are the most common formation in the Midian Legion. It is common for crow formations to operate independently, or be tasked to bolster another legion. Raven units are considered elite forces. The units function as heavy cavalry. Each knight or “pluma,” is equipped with armor, lances, warhorse(s); and comes only from blood nobility or citizenry. Small Lesser Formations The Peregrine formation is the smallest self-supported unit of the Legion. Its entire force is mounted on ponies, mules or light horse, depending on terrain and availability. The Osprey unit is a marine detachment of the Legion, that is lent to the Midian Naves Imperuum (Imperial Navy). They specialize in ship-to-ship and littoral combat; and are dependent on the navy for supply. The Osprey unit is also unique in that its soldiers can carry a variety of personal weapons, forgo a cape, and wear light or no armor at all. Legion Sub Formations Sub Formations of the Legion are not self-sufficient. They function as part of a Lesser Formation within a Legion. Sub Formations are named as parts of avian anatomy (In honor of the Legions) Wing: 80 men: armored infantry The Wing is the Legion's largest sub-formation, Legionnaires take this formation to form a left or right flank two men deep from the center formation: the Maw. Maw/Bec: 40 men: heavily armored infantry and cavalry Men of the Maw are the best, most fearless warriors in a lesser formation. They are used to crack open a foe’s strongest point of defense. They receive double pay, and double field prize. For every foe captured, a Mawmen receives two. Mawmen are often of Fellbreed lineage, such as ogres, half-giants, or other exceptionally strong creatures. Tail: 40 light infantry A Tail is a support unit, often composed of soldiers who serve double roles as clerics, squires, armorers, huntsmen, grooms, or falconers Eye: 20 men: 5 officers; 5 runners or riders; 5-10 guards (or mages, clerics, bards) The Eye is a command and control sub-formation. Pincer: 15-20 men: three Talons + a Spur: support team Talon/Khele or Spur: 5 men The Talon and Spur are the smallest recognized formation in the Legion. Men within this formation share the same tent, food; and split the watch. A Spur unit is often composed of less-experienced soldiers, serving as squires, recruits, medics, or water bearers. Legio Sinistra The total number of Left Hand Legions is unknown; possibly 25,000 souls. Current Legions There are 25 standing legions; totaling approximately 225,000 soldiers Current Exhort Units Exhort units are too numerous and changing to list completely. There are thought to be about 150,000 effectives. The most well-known are covered below. Naming conventions vary (numbering is thought to represent the number of times the unit has had to be reconstituted) __FORCETOC__ Category:Guilds and Orders Category:Midian Empire